The present invention relates to an orthosis for stabilizing a joint, preferably a knee-joint, consisting of a sleeve of a flexible and stabilizing material having a first portion to be secured on one side of the joint and a second portion to be secured on the other side of the joint.
The knee is the joint in the human, body which is subjected to the greatest load. A relatively large percentage of people suffer from pain and/or other disorders in this joint. Sometimes the cause of the trouble can be diagnosed immediately with the aid of an arthroscope, for instance. The cause may be rheumatoidal changes, often including the decomposition of the joint cartilage. Often, however, no immediate cause of the pain can be detected.
The treatment of PFPS (Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome) is either surgical or conservative. Surgery should only be resorted to if the cause of the problem has been clearly diagnosed. The most usual conservative treatment comprises providing the knee with lateral support, using various forms of elastic bandages and orthoses and in all cases the pain is alleviated and increased bending ability is observed in the joint.
As to long-term effects, a definite improvement is obtained if the orthosis includes a patella bracing pad, a halfmoon-shaped cushion, which is in constant contact with one side of the kneecap. The reason for the beneficial effect of the patella bracing pad is still not fully established.
One drawback of existing orthoses is that they are uncomfortable to wear, particularly the type most effective from the treatment aspect, i.e. including a patella bracing pad. The discomfort is due to folds occurring in the material in the crook of the knee when the knee-joint is bent. It is also probable that this material-bunching when the knee is bent gives poorer treatment results.
One solution to this problem would be to provide the orthosis with a recess on the knee-crook side, just as most knee orthoses having an opening for the kneecap (patella). However, in traditional orthoses such a measure is impossible since this greatly reduces stability and thus the efficacy of the treatment.